When and How to get a COLA Waiver

Obtaining a COLA (Certificate of Label Approval) from the TTB can be a time-consuming process that's difficult to sync with the rest of your operations. But here's a little-known fact: if you are importing alcoholic beverages for use at a tradeshow, or to give out samples for soliciting orders, you may be eligible for a COLA waiver.

COLA waivers can be requested by submitting a formal letter to the TTB. The letter must guarantee that the products in question will meet these compliance requirements before reaching a U.S. port:

The products will be imported by the holder of a Federal Importer's Basic Permit (you also need to include the permit number)

The letter also has to provide information regarding the details of the products you need waivers for, including:

The purpose for importing and for requesting a waiver (for tradeshows or other events, include dates and locations)

The class, type, and quantity of each alcoholic beverage product

The country of origin for each product

The brand name of each product

The TTB accepts these waiver requests by both email and fax (202-453-2970). To make the process even faster and easier, I recommend using this official template provided by the TTB (this opens a MS Word file you can save and modify).